Tag Archives: omnitrans sbx bus rapid transit

Getting around town will be a little cheaper for San Bernardino Valley youth this summer, thanks to a discounted fare on Omnitrans buses! Riders 18 and under will pay just $1 per trip June 1 through July 31, compared to the regular single-ride cash rate of $1.75.

Riders have a choice of paying cash on board or paying by phone using the Token Transit mobile app. To download the free app, customers can text TOKEN to 41411.

“Using the mobile app eliminates the need to carry cash or have exact change,” said Omnitrans spokesperson Wendy Williams. “Riders can purchase by phone in advance, then save their passes in the app wallet until they are ready to board.”

The summer discount is good on all Omnitrans bus routes including 26 local routes, three freeway express routes, five OmniGo community shuttle routes and the sbX bus rapid transit line in San Bernardino and Loma Linda.

Students who appear to be close to age 19 should be prepared to show bus drivers proof of age or a high school ID card to prove they are eligible for the discount.

The sbX Green Line, the bus rapid transit line serving San Bernardino and Loma Linda, now begins service a little earlier in the morning, starting at 5 a.m., with extended service through 10 p.m. on weekdays!

The increased span of service makes commuting possible for those who work earlier shifts during the week, or for people who like to catch a late-night movie screening downtown.

“Longer hours on sbX help those working in the hospitality, healthcare and logistics industries,” said Omnitrans CEO P. Scott Graham. “Students taking evening classes and families wanting to take in a ball game or movie downtown will also benefit.”

The latest Bus Book becomes effective Tuesday, September 5, and we have a preview of the new service changes designed to enhance your Omnitrans experience!

The highlights include service every 15 minutes into Ontario Airport AND newly extended morning and evening sbX hours, along with minor enhancements to other local routes that will enhance connections and on-time performance.

Traveling to Ontario International Airport will now be easier than ever with Route 61 providing 15-minute service to the airport on weekdays and weekends. The two bus stops are located along Terminal Way at Terminals 2 and 4, just east of the baggage claim areas. Other popular destinations along Route 61 include Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario Mills, and the Ontario Convention Center. Route 61 also serves the Fontana and Pomona transit centers, making for great connectivity to the airport via Metrolink and Omnitrans.

sbX‘s Green Line, the bus rapid transit line connecting San Bernardino and Loma Linda, is also extending service hours on weekdays. The first sbX trip will now begin at 5:00 a.m., with service running until 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. This is good news for commuters and students traveling to destinations along the route. Now, you can take sbX to the early shift at work or catch a late night movie with friends! And, in case you didn’t know, there are four Park & Ride locations along the sbX route. They offer free, lighted parking so you can experience a multi-modal commute to get to work, school, or just for entertainment!

sbX: More morning and late evening service has been added.Route 1: Run-time adjustments on all days.Route 2: Run-time adjustments, weekdays only.Route 8: A new weekday tripper to the Amazon Fulfillment Center has been added.Route 61: Service has been added to Ontario International Airport. Schedule adjustments, all days.Route 66: Runtime adjustments, weekdays only.Route 83: A timepoint at Euclid and Holt has been added. Schedule adjustments, changes all days.Route 88: Runtime adjustments, all days.Route 215: Runtime adjustments, all days.

CLICK TO ENLARGE MAP

Please note the following bay assignment changes at the San Bernardino Transit Center:

Route 15 eastbound will stop on Rialto Avenue.

Route 15 westbound will stop on the south side of the transit center, next to the railroad platform.

Did you know that the average Inland Empire commuter spends almost 60 hours each year in traffic? That’s like a week and a half of vacation time!

California celebrates alternative modes of transportation during Rideshare Week, happening October 3-7 this year! It’s the perfect opportunity to change up your daily commute to work or simply enjoy a leisurely outing around town in a new way.

Omnitrans is making it easy for you to participate this year and reduce your time in traffic with a FREE ride on our buses, redeemable any day and any time during Rideshare Week! This offer is redeemable on Omnitrans, sbX, or OmniGo.

Mobile App CouponIf you haven’t already, download the Omnitrans mobile app on your device and click the ‘Free Ride’ tab to obtain the digital coupon. Simply show your bus driver the coupon when you board any day between October 3 and 7. The driver will then issue you one free day pass which you may use for unlimited rides on that day only. Digital app coupons may be redeemed one per customer.

Print CouponYou may also download and print the Omnitrans free ride coupon directly from our website. Hand the coupon to your bus driver upon boarding any day between October 3 and 7, and they will issue you a free day pass for unlimited rides that day. Print coupons may be redeemed one per customer.

Rideshare Week Prize DrawingsIE Commuter, the Inland Empire’s one-stop shop for transportation information, is a great resource for information about ridesharing and the benefits of sustainable transportation methods including riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking and telecommuting.When you ride during Rideshare Week, you may enter to win prizes including an Ashley Furniture living room set, a one night stay at Palm Springs’ Ace Hotel & Swim Club, gift cards, and more! Simply visit www.IEcommuter.org to pledge your rideshare today, and you will automatically be entered into the drawing.

Ridesharing has proven to positively impact the individual’s finances and quality of life, as well as promote environment sustainability. Take the pledge today, enter to win prizes, and enjoy your free ride on Omnitrans this Rideshare Week 2016!

The Coyotes are back on campus at Cal State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) this fall for the new school year, and Omnitrans’ Go Smart program continues to make navigating college life easier for students in our service area!

Students at GoSmart schools are entitled to unlimited rides during the school year, with just a simple swipe of their valid student ID card. And they can ride not only on school days, but any day and time of the week! For a complete list of partner schools, click here.

Rosa, an English major, at the CSUSB sbX station. She is working toward becoming a teacher in her hometown of San Bernardino as a way of giving back to her community.

Rosa, a fifth-year English major at the university, takes advantage of the unlimited rides available to her as a GoSmart student every single day of the week. She has been riding Omnitrans the majority of her time at CSUSB, and it has proven to be a wallet-friendly choice.

“I totally ditched my car and left it at home,” says Rosa, who has a car she could drive to school every day, but has found that riding Omnitrans is the more convenient, money-saving option for her. “I don’t have to pay for a parking pass, which is really expensive.”

Rosa began riding our fixed-route system, but when sbX rapid transit service was introduced , she has not only continued to save money, but also time since the bus makes fewer stops. “Now that there is sbX, which is faster, I don’t have to wait to get home,” Rosa shares. “It has cut my [commute] time by more than half.”

Similarly, chemistry major Joseph Barrera relies on Omnitrans for transportation to school every weekday.

“This is how I get here from Redlands every day,” says Joseph of Go Smart. “It’s pretty good!”

Riding Omnitrans from downtown Redlands, Joseph connects to the sbX Green Line at the San Bernardino Transit Center daily as he completes his third year of schooling. Joseph is not alone – many of his peers also utilize public transportation as they work toward achieving their academic goals.

Go Smart students boarding Route 2 at CSUSB.

“Omnitrans’ four routes with direct service to CSUSB are essential to student success,” says Thomas W. Gaffery, director of parking & transportation at CSUSB. “The GoSmart program allows our students to save money on gas and a parking permit, as well as enhancing CSUSB’s commitment to sustainability.”

As part of Omnitrans’ May 2 service changes, sbX Green Line buses will once again stop at every station along its route, on every trip.

In January, the rapid transit route began a test of only stopping on demand – i.e., when signaled by a passenger, or if customers were at a station waiting to board.

While the test was designed to help keep routes running on time during construction, it caused concern among customers and coach operators regarding visibility at stations. In response to these concerns, sbX vehicles will return to the original policy of stopping at every station along the route.

Please note that the sbX route continues to operate every 10 minutes during peak hours, and every 15 minutes throughout the day on weekdays.

Thanks to everyone who came out this week to try out the new sbX Green Line. We had a chance to chat with many of our Omnitrans regulars and had the opportunity to visit with a few new faces as well!

It’s been an exciting first week. We are still working through some of the timing and technical issues that we had anticipated with launch of service. Everything is being monitored closely, and each day it’s getting a little better. Our coach operators have been doing their best to keep things rolling on schedule. We appreciate your understanding as we work out the kinks and get a little history under our belts.

Beginning Monday, sbX will begin accepting fares. The cost to ride is the same as for our regular Omnitrans routes, and the same passes will be accepted. Passengers now have the option of purchasing passes at one of the ticket vending machines conveniently located at any sbX station using a credit or debit card.

Our friendly sbX ambassadors will continue to be available for one more week to answer questions and guide you through the new service. Monday and Tuesday they will be at the stations during peak service hours (6:00-9:00 a.m.; 2:00-6:00 p.m. NB, 3:00-6:00 SB). On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday they will be on board the buses. They’ll be easy to spot—look for people wearing yellow safety vests and sbX ambassador pins.

Do you have the Omnitrans app on your phone? If you do, you can pull up our sbX page, bus book and NexTrip real-time bus arrival information. sbX is listed as route 202 in NexTrip. Please remember that NexTrip is a prediction based technology. By knowing where a bus is on the route, it can predict its time of arrival at the next stop. Because we only have a few days history with sbX, times may be slightly off for now. Accuracy will improve once we have another week’s worth of data to support it.

As a reminder, we do offer free Wi-Fi on board. You can also take advantage of the power outlets above the seats to charge your smart devices. Interior bike racks are available for cyclists.

Thanks to everyone who allowed us to take their photo. We’ve had a lot fun talking with you and getting your feedback on sbX. We look forward to serving you again on Inland Southern California’s first bus rapid transit service.

Special Weapons and Tactics team members from the San Bernardino Police Department survey the inside of a five-door sbX bus to prepare emergency-response strategies.

The mission was short and simple: learn more about the new five-door, 60-foot vehicles that will soon grace the E Street corridor; strategize what to do in the event of a dangerous situation on board; and execute drills to assure the safety of passengers.

Those goals were accomplished November 6, 2013 by the San Bernardino Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team near the police shooting range at Perris Hill Park. The event was put together by Omnitrans’ Operations and Safety and Security departments.

San Bernardino SWAT team rehearses a drill designed to storm a sbX bus under siege. The training was facilitated by Omnitrans’ Operations and Safety & Security departments in preparation for a transit emergency on a 60-foot vehicle.

“This is a coordinated effort between Omnitrans and the San Bernardino Police Department to partner with local first responders on emergency response,” said Security and Loss Prevention Supervisor Mark Crosby. “We wanted them to become familiar with the new sbX buses and its features so they are prepared to respond to potential life-and-death situations.”

The elite law enforcement team was shown locations of surveillance cameras, points of entry and other intricate details so they could assess various scenarios, from armed passenger threats to terrorist activity to hostage situations.

“In the end, if lives can be saved and injuries avoided, anything we can do to help first responders become familiarized with Omnitrans equipment and services is beneficial to the passengers we serve,” Crosby said.

E Street has a new look in Downtown San Bernardino as crews continue making roadway improvements for the sbX line. New plants and trees will also be placed in the median area.

Motorists driving through Downtown San Bernardino can now see the new street configuration for sbX service. During a two-week period in July, a small section of northbound E Street between 2nd Street and Court Street was closed so construction crews could work on widening the street and build a new center running median that will be fully landscaped. Crews will soon start construction of the Court Street sbX station. Important to note, is that while there is currently a new layer of pavement in this area, the final layer of asphalt will be placed in the coming months and create a smooth, even surface for vehicular traffic.

Crews work on the new E Street median near 2nd Street in Downtown San Bernardino.

Extensive roadway and crosswalk work also took place between Court Street and 6th Street in Downtown. The final layer of asphalt in this area will also be placed in the coming months as well as new striping. Elsewhere on E Street, electrical and masonry work has been taking place at the Highland Avenue, Baseline Street, Rialto Avenue and North Mall Way sbX stations. Work also continues on the sbX stations on Kendall Drive and the CSUSB sbX station is nearing completion.

Vehicles now have a smooth road to drive on next to the sbX station platform on Benton Street next to Barton Road in Loma Linda.

Loma Linda construction activities increased significantly in July with progress made at each of the sbX stations in the city.

Asphalt removal, grading and paving took place at the station on the east side of Anderson Street south of Redlands Boulevard; both stations on the northeast and southwest corners of Anderson Street and Prospect Avenue; and at the southern terminus on the southeast corner of Benton Street and Barton Road, next to the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System facility. Motorists will feel a smooth drive through the area as the final cap of asphalt is now in place.

At the station in front of the future park-and-ride facility (west side of Anderson Street south of Redlands Boulevard), crews formed and poured a low concrete wall. They also worked on sidewalk, stairs and ramp construction. Other activities in Loma Linda included painting station steel structures, electrical and surveying.